How to check SSD health: Windows 10, Windows 11
It is important to regularly check the health of your SSD (Solid Slate Drive) on your laptop or computer. There are various software tools that give insights into performance, lifespan and overall condition. In this article we will show you some common methods.
How to check SSD health?
There are several different methods for checking your SSD health, here are the main ones:
Using Manufacturer's Software
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Most SSDs have their own software that can be used to monitor and manage SSD health. For example there is Samsung's Magician, and then the the Crucial Storage Executive for Crucial SSDs. These tools will give you information concerning the drive's health and firmware updates.
Third Party Software
- CrystalDiskInfo: CrystalDiskInfo gives detailed information about your SSD's health and status. It also shows attributes like temperature, wear level, and estimated lifespan.
- SSD Life: SSD Life offers health and performance monitoring for SSDs. It estimates the remaining lifespan of your drive based on usage patterns.
- HWiNFO: HWiNFO is a comprehensive system information tool that can also monitor SSD health. It provides details about various hardware components, including SSDs.
Built in Operating System Tools
Depending on your operating system, you may have a built in tool that will give some basic information about your SSD.
Windows: Go into the start menu and find Optimise Drives, this will show you the status of your SSD and whether or not optimisation is needed.
macOS: Using the Disk Utility application, you can check the SMART status of your SSD. Go into the Disk Utility menu and then locate the First Aid tab. This will show you there performance and health of your SSD.
How does CrystalDiskInfo work?
CrystalDiskInfo is a tool that provides detailed information about the health, performance and other attributes. It works for HDDs and SSDs. The tool uses SMART technology. SMART stands for Self Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology. This is how CrystalDiskInfo works:
Collecting SMART Data - Data such as temperature, reallocated sectors, spin up time, errors rates and wear level
Interpreting SMART Attributes - CrystalDiskInfo interprets the SMART data collected by SSD or HDD. It is able to detect potential issues and determine the overall health of your storage device. You will be given a status indication, such as "Good", "Bad" or "Caution".
Temperature Monitoring - The software monitors the temperature of the storage device. This is important because overheating can severely impact your drives overall health.
Warnings and Alerts - CrystalDiskInfo will give you warnings and alerts if it detects any SMART triggers that show the drive might be failing. This will give you a chance to back up your data.
CrystalDiskInfo is a useful tool for checking your drive health, however it may not detect some issues, or it may detect issues that do not necessarily mean that your device will fail. It is a tool that can help, but it will always be important to keep regular backups of your data, just in case.
How to improve SSD health?
If you notice a significant decrease in the performance of your computer, it could be as a result of a deteriorating SSD. An increase in errors and reduce performance are signs that your SSD is aging and might need to be replaced.
Unfortunately, there is no tool that can predict the exact lifespan of your SSD. Some SSDs can fail unexpectedly. It is a good idea to keep regular backups of your data regardless of your drive's health status. If you find that your SSD is having issues, it is recommended to consult the manufacturers dedicated support for more specific guidance.